The United Kingdoms
by Ali The Lioness
Summary: Sequel to "A Throne For Three" - When triplets Kopa, Kiara, Kion and their cousin Kya become rules of four neighboring kingdoms they form formidable alliance called The United Kingdoms but can this family dynasty be able to remain a unity and hold on to their power?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N_**

 ** _So turns out the majority of my readers wanted a sequel for a throne for three and I can't say I'm disappointed at the results, I've missed these characters and I've grown attached to them specially the triplets, so let's see what the future holds in store for them, join me on this new adventure if you wish to find out._**

 ** _Thank you to everyone that voted and reviewed my story, you guys are the nicest, kindest and most amazing readers and as always I hope you enjoy this story!_**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Kopa's point of view**

 **A year later**

Our alliance had been established for a little over a year now with me and Tiifu ruling over the Pridelands, Kovu and Kiara ruling over the Aduli lands, Kion and Libya ruling over the Furaha lands and our cousin Kya and her mate Hakim ruling the Waira lands north, The great Kings and the elders had been kind to us, the four kingdoms prospered and everyone in it enjoyed an era of peace and abundance because of this a couple of months ago father and mother decided to travel to the Aduli lands to visit Kiara and Kovu on their twins first birthday and after that have a little vacation that went on for longer than expected. After their long absence, father had asked to meet with me and my brother by the borders "It's good to see my sons again" he said with a warm smile

"It's good to have you and mom back" I said bowing my head

"You look renewed dad, desert life suits you" Kion smirked and nudged him "or maybe spending so much time with mom lately has something to do with it" father laughed loudly while I roll my eyes at my brother

"Well we're not ruling two kingdoms and raising three troublemakers anymore, so we have more time to relax" dad told us with a smile "speaking of which, how are you boys doing?

"Well…" I began clearing my throat as I thought of everything that happened during the time he was gone "since you left the zebras and gazelles have stop fighting over the grazing grounds, the honey badgers took care of the bee problem we were having and oh the wildebeest migration was a complete success-"

"Brother, he's not asking for the morning report" Kion said cutting me off with a chuckle "he's asking how we're doing" I turned to my father and he nodded his head

"Right…" I said with a nervous laugh "I'm doing just fine father"

"How are things with Tiifu?" dad asked

"Wonderful, she's been leading the hunting party and she really enjoys that" I told with a smile "and you know what they say; happy wife, happy life"

"Definitely" he said before turning his head to my brother "and how about you Kion?"

"Well Livy and I now have another reason to be happy" he answered with a grin "We're having another cub!" Kion and Libya's son Yame was born only a few months after Sarabi and Ahadi and soon after that they welcomed their daughter Ishka and I guess they just couldn't wait to give me another niece or nephew

"That is wonderful news Kion!" our father said hugging him

"Congratulations brother" I said hugging him as well

"I just found out this morning and I couldn't wait to tell you guys just don't tell mom yet okay? I want to see the look on her face"

"Sorry but I can't keep any secrets from your mother" dad sighed "she sees right through me"

"Alright, I guess I can go to the Pridelands for a couple of hours and tell myself right now" Kion said glancing back at his kingdom and then back at us

"Let's go then, she'll be happy to see you" father said and the three of us began walking towards the Pridelands.

I didn't say much on our way there, I couldn't stop thinking about how Tiifu would react to Kion's announcement, I mean she of course would be as happy as I am to know that soon there will be another cub in our family, but this is also a bitter reminder that we are yet to have a cub of our own.

 **Nala's point of view**

I stretched my limbs as I woke up from a much needed nap, tired from all the traveling, the jungle seems to be a lot further than it was so many years ago but still as beautiful as always, Simba and I were able to relieve some wonderful memories in the place we fell in love. But it's good to be back home, I went outside and saw my mother lounging by the acacia grove

"Feeling rested sweetheart? "She Asked as I approached her

"Yes mother" I said nuzzling her before flopping down by her side "how are feeling?" I asked she shook her head with a smile

"Ehsan told you I've been feeling a little sick lately, didn't he?"

"He told me you passed out during a walk, I wouldn't call that a little sick" I told her

"You know I'm old and the sun was particularly hot that day" mom said dismissively "I'm fine now" I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed "but I'll take it easy for now if that makes you and your brother less concerned"

"We're just looking after you mom" I said putting my paw on hers

"I know darling, I know" she smiled

"Mom! Grandma!" we both turned our heads towards the familiar voice

"Kion" I called rushing towards my youngest son to give him a hug, I saw Kopa earlier today but I didn't expect to see Kion until our visit to the Furaha lands "what are you doing here? Don't you have a kingdom to rule?" I asked as he hugged my mother

"He comes bearing good news" Simba smiled sitting next to me

"Well what is it?" my mom asked with a smile

"Livy is pregnant, we're having another cub!" Kion announced

"I knew it!" his grandmother beamed

"Oh congratulations sweetie" I said nuzzling him

"How far along is she?" mom asked him

"She's still pretty early on" my son answered "but I have a feeling it's another boy"

"That would be wonderful!" Simba said

"When is she due?" mom asked and as they talked, I noticed how silent Kopa was while he started off into the distance

"Sweetie, is everything alright?" I asked him quietly

"Y-yes mom, of course" he stammered before flashing a smile "is Tiifu back yet?"

"No, she's still out hunting" I told him and he nodded his head

"Anyways I should get going" Kion said standing back up and shaking his scarlet mane "but all of you are invited to our celebration feast tomorrow"

"Of course we'll be there darling" my mother said

"What happened to 'taking it easy for now'?" I asked her and she rolled her green eyes "you're not walking all the way there"

"I want to see my great grandchildren and since I don't have any here, it's either that or visiting Kiara" mom said

"Let her come mom, Yame and Ishka love when she visits us" Kion said nuzzling her "you can leave first thing in the morning to avoid the sun"

"Alright" I sighed "I guess we're all going then"

"Except me, I'm going to be very busy tomorrow" Kopa said standing up "actually there's some things I should be taking care off now" he said before saying goodbye to his brother and excusing himself

"Is he okay?" Simba asked "he's been acting really weird today"

"Kopa's always been weird" Kion chuckled and I rolled my eyes, maybe he doesn't see it but there is something up with his brother and I intend of finding out exactly what it is.

 **Tiifu's point of view**

"Great hunt today" I said to the lionesses as they dispersed

"Yeah as great as it was, I think I'm going to skip it tomorrow" Zuri said out of breath

"Oh Zuri, it wasn't so bad" I say to her and then turned to the elder lionesses "was it?"

"Hunting it's not the same when you're pregnant" Kula answered nuzzling her daughter-in-law

"Yeah, we'll see how you do when you're pregnant" Zuri said and I laughed awkwardly before I kept walking forward

"That reminds me Tiifu, when are you getting pregnant?" my mother asked dryly

"Mom!" I said through gritted teeth hopping she would drop the subject

"I mean, seriously you've been married for over a year now and I doubt you two haven't consummated your marriage" she shrugged and I felt my face warming up with embarrassment

"Well maybe I don't want to have cubs yet" I lied; I do want a cub more than anything in this world, I've been unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant for months now. There was a couple of times when I thought

"But he'll want one eventually" mom said and I frowned "and you better give it to him"

"Oh Tiifu, she's only saying this because she cares" Kula said with a smile "and you know producing an heir is one of your most important duties as queen"

"And remember, nothing is certain about your place here until that happens" my mother added

"w-what do you mean?" I hesitantly asked

"Well Kopa needs an heir and if you can't give him one…" she began and Kula nodded along "…he's going to find it somewhere else" my eyes widen and my heart almost stopped though I've never felt pressured by Kopa to have a cub but that could change

"Kopa would never do that to her!" Zuri stepping in "he loves her and he's just not that type of lion"

"But he's still a lion" mom shrugged

"And the king" her friend chimed in.

The pride went ahead began eating, having lost my appetite I sat outside waiting for my mate to come back home as I thought about everything my mother and Kula said until Kopa's voice pulled me from my thoughts "Hey sweetie, what are you doing out here?" He asked me sitting down next to me

"Just waiting for you" I smiled, deciding to put on a good face for him, he seemed tired and stressed and the last thing I wanted was to worry him with all these.

"How sweet" he said nuzzling me "how was your day?"

"Good, we had a great hunt today" I said with a smile "how was yours?"

"Long and exhausting" he yawned stretching his paws "I've been running around the Pridelands all day and earlier

I had this meeting by the borders so I had to walk all the way there and back" my mate explained

"I heard your brother was here earlier" I commented

"He came to see mom and to tell her something" he said looking away

"Tell her what?" I asked turning my head to the side

"That Libya is pregnant" he answered absentmindedly

"Again?" I asked barely above a whisper

"Yeah, they're having another cub" he nodded slowly

"t-that's… great" I said with fake excitement, don't get me wrong I'm happy for them but I also feel a little humiliated to hear his brother's wife is pregnant with her third cub before I even had the first one

"Isn't it?" he asked with a small smile "my parents are thrilled to have another grandchild"

"I'm sure they are…" I sighed looking down at my paws

"We'll have one of our own soon…" he said as if he was trying to convince himself as well as me "when we're ready" I don't think we can be more ready than this, I don't want to say I'm losing hope but if we were meant to have a cub, the great kings would've blessed us with one by now.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey guys! We're back at it again with them chapters and by the way I'm trying to make chapters in this story longer than the previous stories so yay for that! And now a special shout out to the first 5 reviewers of this story:**_

 _ **Autumn**_

 _ **Machine Dragon Nero**_

 _ **GuardianSaint**_

 _ **Revan Alek Shan**_

 _ **You guys are awesome, thank you!**_

 _ **-ali**_

 _ **If you're Autumn keep reading this: hey there! I wish you had an account so I could talk to you directly, I love your idea but I think going back would with a prequel might be a little confusing at least for me lol but I did plan to include some flashbacks in this story that will answer some questions about Moyo and Sarafina's relationship so be on the lookout for that :)**_

 **Chapter 2**

 **Kion's point of view**

I could hear my daughter crying loudly as I neared home that night, I sighed looking inside the cave where I saw my family sitting around a half-eaten zebra, the cubs were looking away from me and Libya had her eyes closed as she rubbed her temples with her front paws.

"Did you take a nap today?" Yame asked her calmly as she continued crying

"I didn't" she shook her head

"Boy, do you need one" he said and I couldn't help but to laugh "Dad!" he smiled running out of the cave in my direction

"Daddy's home!" Ishka suddenly wiped the tears off her blue grey eyes and followed after him

"Hey!" I said nuzzling the two cubs "what are you two doing up this late at night?"

"We were waiting for you" my son said

"And now that he's here, it's time to go to bed" their mother said and they groaned in protest "now" she said sternly and the cub's ears dropped

"Yes mother" the two said lowering their heads

"Well...good night kids" I said as they went back inside the cave and then turned to my wife with a smile "Hey Liv"

"You disappeared for a whole day and all you can say is 'hey Liv'?" she asked annoyed "where have you been?"

"I told you I had to meet Kopa and my father by the borders" I told her calmly

"But you didn't say your meeting would last all day" she said narrowing her grey eyes at me

"I had to go to the Pridelands and you know how long that takes" I explained and she sighed

"You could've told me you were going there" she huffs

"It was kind of a last minute thing, anyway I-" I said already done with this conversation

"At least send a messenger bird or something!" she snapped obviously not willing to let it go "why did you even have to go all the way there?

"Oh well I wanted to tell my mother the good news personally" I smiled at her and she raised an eyebrow at me

"What good news?" she asked and then lowered her voice "you didn't tell her about the pregnancy, did you?"

"Of course I did, I announced it to my whole family today" I said and she groaned "what? What's wrong?"

"We just found out this morning, I haven't even told Yame and Ishka yet!" she snapped

"I know but I was just so happy and I couldn't wait to share it with my family" I told her and she sighed and regained her composure

"I understand but we are married now Kion and we need to make decisions together or at least let me know beforehand" I nodded my head understanding; I mean I get it; I can be a little impulsive sometimes.

"From now I won't make a decision without consulting you first, I promise" I said closing the distance between us and trying to kiss her

"Fine" she said moving away

"Oh come on! You know you missed me as much as I missed you" I said with smirk to which she rolled her eyes with a smile before accepting the kiss "that's better" I said nuzzling her

"How did your family react when you told them the news?" she asked looking up at me with a smile

"They were stoked" I said "and they seemed excited about the celebration feast"

"What celebration feast?" she asked frowning

"The one we're throwing tomorrow?" I said laughing nervously as she glared at me "This was before I made the promise so technically you can't really get mad..." I tried to defend my actions "so why don't we go sleep and talk about it tomorrow?"

"You're right we should go to sleep" she nodded "you have a lot of hunting to do for the feast tomorrow and you're going to need all your energy" she said before standing back up I opened my mouth to argue but the shot me a glare and instead I decided to nod my head and smile in agreement.

 **Ehsan's point of view**

While Simba, Kion and the cubs played in the lake I found myself staring hard at the lake before me, coming back to the Furaha lands brings up all sorts of memories, some of them I would rather put behind me.

 ** _Flashback_**

 ** _7 years ago_**

 _I sneaked out of the cave while mother was sleeping, I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without her or father's supervision but since he wasn't here right now I decided to go for a little walk and come back before she woke up. I walked towards the lake and stared at my reflection my mane was just a tuff of brown hair right now but mothers it will look like my father's, I sighed splashing the water with my front paw, the last thing I want is to be like my father…_

 _"Ehsan?" a voice called and turned around with wide eyes and saw my older sister standing there arching an eyebrow at me "what are you doing out here? You know you're not allowed to running around all alone"_  
 _"b-but I'm not alone" I said looking up at her "I'm with you"_

 _"That's even worse" she said dryly "just go back inside before you get in trouble"_

 _"But there's isn't anything to do in there, I'm bored" I complained and she rolled her eyes "play with me Nala"_

 _"Go back inside Ehsan" she said turning around to leave. I never really get to spend time with my sister; she used to play with me when we were younger but now we only see each other when father comes back home at night and she's usually quiet and distant when he's around, I think that even though she won't admit it, she's afraid of him like I am._

 _"You can't make me" I said splashing her with water, she turned back around slowly and I swallowed hard maybe I went a little too far_

 _"oh really?" she asked as her tail waved side to side with a smirk on her face "Let's find out...run!" she said and I dashed off laughing as I heard her getting closer_

 _"you can't catch me!" I said looking back at her and stopping abruptly when I saw my father rushing towards us furious "Nala wait-" I tried to warn her as he grabbed me but before I could my father's voice boomed "what is going on here? Why is Ehsan out here and why aren't you practicing?"_

 _"We're just playing" she said letting go of me_

 _"Don't talk back to me Nala!" he snapped_

 _"But you asked me a question..." she pointed out_

 _"Watch your attitude young lady!" he growled "I'm your father and king and you will give me the respect I deserve!"_

 _"I guess that's none then" she mumbled under her breath before my father's paw knocked her over to the lake_

 _"You think you're so clever, don't you? You might be my daughter but you're still a worthless little lioness" he growled at her as she tried to lift her head up from the shallow water "and you need to be put on your place" he said pushing her head back in the water and not letting her up_

 _"Father please, stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as Nala struggled under his hold splashing the water around "it wasn't her fault, please!" I begged trying to pull his paw away but he sent me rolling to the shore_

 _"Moyo stop!" I heard my mother cried getting in the water next to him "you're gonna to kill her!" he scoffed and lifted his paw while mom pulled my sister out of the water shaking her frantically "you're okay sweetie, you're okay" mother said as Nala coughed the water out of her lungs_

 _"Of course she's okay, I was just teaching her lesson" father said getting up and shaking the water off his fur_

 _"You almost drowned me…" Nala breathing heavily and he got closer to her_

 _"Yes and remember Nala, I would have if it wasn't for your mother" he whispered with a smile before heading towards the cave_

 _"What happened now?" mother asked as she helped Nala up_

 _"What happened? you married a deranged lion and ruined my life, that's what happened!" she snapped before running off crying and mother sighed getting up to go back to the cave while I looked down at my reflection once again on the now still water with everything else around me fading away_

 _"Ehsan"_

 _"Ehsan!"_

 _ **End of Flashback**_

"Ehsan!" my sister's voice snapped me back to reality "are you alright?" she asked with her signature arched brow

"I was just thinking" I say facing her

"About what?" she asks and I turn back to the lake

"Oh" she says clearly understanding what I meant, you don't forget something like that no matter how hard you try "stop thinking about him Ehsan, It's in the past" she says splashing the water

"Nala, don't you wanna know why he did it? Something must've happened to him that turned him into this" I said and she shook her head

"No and you shouldn't either" she said sternly "just put it behind you, like I did"

"I did too but I have so many questions…" I sighed "mother should be able to answer them"

"She refuses to talk about father, believe I've tried before" my sister frowned "you'll only upset her and at her age, I don't think that's such a good Idea" she said and I sighed knowing she was right turning back to the lake once again "he's dead now Ehsan, he can't hurt us anymore" she said placing her paw on my shoulder

"But he already did..."

 **Kiara's point of view**

My son and I made our way to the pond where my daughter and her friends playing, the three cubs were chasing a butterfly around. Sarabi tried pouncing in it but ended up falling, her friend Talin ran past her and carefully captured the in her paws before letting it go and starting the chase once again but before she could Sarabi grabbed her back leg and tripped her over "Sabi!" Talin protested but she kept laughing and pointing at the fallen cub

"Sarabi!" I called and the three turned in my direction "that was not nice"

"Oh mom we're just playing" she smiled innocently and I arched an eyebrow at her "right girls?" she desperately asked the other cubs

"Yeah…just playing" Talin mumbled as she got back on her paws

"Yes queen Kiara" we glance at Selah who was looking away with a small smile stealing across her face

"Alright…" I say defeated, Talin and Selah will go along with anything my daughter says, Ahadi by my side sighed in boredom and as we were about to leave my daughter whispers something to Talin and she laughed quietly

 **"** Mom, can you make Ahadi play with us? We need equal teams to play a game"

"I don't want to play with you" Ahadi said before I could answer

"We are brother and sister" his sister said sweetly "It's important for us to spend time together. Don't you think so, mom?"  
"Of course" I smile turning to my son "play with your sister dear, just for a little while" I tell him and he groans, I remember when I was a cub, a lot of times mom and dad would force us to play together and I'm glad they did, we would always end up having so much fun together and those are the memories I treasure now that we're so far away from each other.  
I walked towards a nearby tree and sat under its shadow closing my eyes and enjoying the cool afternoon breeze only opening them when I heard a Vitani's voice calling me

"Kiara, the king is summoning you and your cubs to the royal den" she said "he received a message from father"

"Wonderful I'll go get them, thank you Vitani" I said and she vowed her head and in that moment Ahadi walks past me dripping water "I was just coming to get you, grandpa sent us a message- you're soaking wet, what happened?" I say and he groans storming towards the den

"Selah come here this instant!" Vitani called her daughter "I told you to stay out of the water"

"I'm sorry mother, I didn't mean to" the cub said walking towards her with her head lowered, I turned to my daughter and she laughed nervously

"Come" I said and she followed me to the den where her father and brother awaited, Sabi sat next to Ahadi and he pushed her away "what did my father say?" I ask before giving the twins a warning look

"Well, apparently the family is expanding" Kovu began and we all turned our attention to him "in a few months you will have a new cousin-"

"Kopa and Tiifu are having a cub?" I asked

"No, Kion and Libya" Kovu said

"Oh, well that's great news, isn't it kids?" I said and Ahadi nodded his head with a smile while Sabi held a neutral look in her face "I just had I feeling it would Kopa's turn this time" I mused  
"If Uncle Kopa never has a cub then he would have to name me his heir, wouldn't he?" Sarabi asked looking up at us

"Sarabi, we don't speak that way. It would be awful if that happened to uncle Kopa" I reprimanded her

"I'm sure aunt Tiifu will be expecting soon enough" Kovu added  
"I still think I would make a great queen" she shrugged

"Too bad you'll never be one" Ahadi said and she glared at him, I turned to my mate concern, maybe telling them who was first in line from the beginning was a mistake.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Simba's point of view**

I joined Kion on patrol that afternoon and said as we walked through his territory, my grandkids ran around playing tag "Ishka be careful that bush is full of thorns!" Yame said to his sister rushing to her side and pulling her away from the bushes

"Let go Yame!" the little cub giggled squirming away from her older brother

"You have to be more careful, you might hurt yourself" Yame said with concern in his grey eyes

"Listen to your brother Ishka" Kion said to his daughter

"Yes daddy" she pouted and turned to her brother with a grin "you're it!" she said and dashed away laughing

"He's a good brother" I say with a smile as I watched Yame chasing after her

"He's very protective of her" my son said

"Big brothers usually are" I commented "I remember when you guys were cubs, Kopa would-"

"Kopa would only act as the big brother when it was convenient for him" Kion said annoyed "and he still does, sometimes he's all mature and grownup and other times he's cub" I raised an eyebrow at him and he continued "like today, he's probably mad at for some reason and that's why he didn't accept my invitation"

"Did he say he was mad at you?" I asked

"No but he doesn't have to" Kion huffed "and let me tell you, he's getting another invitation from me for a while"

"I don't think giving him the cold shoulder is going to solve anything" I said shaking my head at him

"But it's what he deserves…" my youngest son said almost pouting and I held back my smile, who's acting like cub now?

"Do you want me to talk to him?" I offered once again having to play the role of mediator between my two sons

"If you want…" my amber eyed son shrugged before slicking back his mane "You know he could've at least come for the cubs, they miss their uncle"

"And do you miss your brother?" I questioned and he scoffed

"Not after this" he answered simply and I shook my head, even as adults these two find reasons to bicker and argue guess some things never change…

"Daddy come look at what Yame found!" Ishka called leading us to her brother a few yards away standing by a half-eaten carcass and sniffing the air

"There's a scent coming from that direction" Yame said pointing towards the borders

"Can we follow it daddy? We can go on an adventure!" Ishka beamed hugging her father's leg

"Are you crazy?" Yame asked her "it could be rogues or hyenas and they could be dangerous, right dad?"

"Whatever it was, it's gone now…" Kion said sniffing the air "let's get you two back home and I'll investigate later"

"But I don't wanna go home yet" Ishka pouted

"I know but grandpa has to go back to the Pridelands" her father explained to her, saying goodbye to Ishka, Yame and Kion was always hard, maybe Nala and I should plan a longer visit next time, but right now Ehsan has to go back to his family and its best to have Rafiki around Sarafina in case she gets sick again.

The next morning, back in the Pridelands, I woke up while it was still dark out and made my way to the waterhole where I saw Kopa sitting by shore staring at his reflection, I approached him silently, causing him to jump a little when my reflection suddenly appeared next to his on the clear water

"Hey son" I said and sighed looking back at me

"Good morning father" he bowed his head with a smile, every time he does that I picture him as the tiny bright eyed cub he was and though he's always been rather serious and levelheaded, especially compared to his siblings, the always attentive, curious and eager to learn Kopa that dreamed of one day becoming king has changed as of lately, perhaps the pressures of ruling a kingdom are getting to him? "How was your trip?" he asked

"Wonderful, everyone had a good time you should've come with us" I smiled and he nodded absently "though Yame and Ishka were a little disappointed their favorite uncle didn't showed up"

"Yeah right, I'm their only uncle" he scoffed rolling his teal eyes

"Technically, Kovu and Hakim are their uncles too" I corrected him "but you're still their favorite" I smiled and he nodded absentmindedly

"Maybe next time when I'm not so busy" he told me and I raised an eyebrow at him

"Kopa, I'm little worried about you" I say and he tensed up before looking away "I know that ruling the Pridelands is a lot of work and-"

"I can handle it" he said defensively and I sighed

"Of course you can, you're doing a wonderful job" I say reassuringly "but I'm afraid you're losing sight of what's really important"

"What?" he asked turning back to me with a raised eyebrow

"Family" I said simply

"Tiifu and I spend enough time together-" he said staring at me with his teal eyes

"We're your family too Kopa" I reminded him and he sighed

"Yeah, I know…I'm sorry I didn't mean to-" he shook his head

"It's alright son" I smiled before ruffling his mane with my paw "just don't forget it again, okay?"

"I won't" he said fixing his brown mane before standing up "well… I have to get going now"

"Oh well, I guess I'll see you later…" I said as I watched him walking away, leaving me alone by the waterhole

"Hey you" Nala's voice called from behind me

"Good morning my love" I turned to nuzzle her

"What are you going here all alone?" she asked with a smile

"I was talking to our son, until he blew me off…" I told her and she chuckled "guess he's too busy for dad nowadays"

"Well, he is the king" she pointed out

"Yeah, yeah" I said "but he's still my son"

"your adult son, not the tiny little cub that followed you around all day" she smiled and I looked down sadly, I know she's right I can see for myself that he's not a cub anymore but I never thought he would distance himself so much from me, or maybe I just miss having the three of them around, the nest is empty now but at least I have my Nala…

"It's just crazy how time changes everything" I sighed and she rubbed her head under my chin

"There's one thing that will never change…" she said looking up at me lovingly and she didn't need to say it, I just knew it, after all these years our love had remained intact.

 **Nala's point of view**

Simba and I spent the rest of morning lounging by the waterhole, when the sun was high in the sky the hunting party made their way back to pride rock with today's kill, my brother's mate Yue was with them but stayed behind and hesitantly approached me and Simba with concern in her eyes "Yue, is everything alright?" I asked sitting up

"Can we talk?" the white lioness asked

"Of course" I said before turning to Simba and gestured for him to leave us alone

"Oh right, girl talk" he said lazily getting up

"No please stay, maybe you can help" she began and then sighed before continuing "whenever he goes to the Furaha lands, he always comes back acting moody and awfully quiet and I was wondering you two could tell me why that is?" as she asked this I tensed up and looked down at my paws hopping to avoid this conversation

"He never told you about his father?" Simba asked and she shook her head scrunching her eyebrows together

"I- I tried asking him about his upbringing but-" the lioness stuttered

"He refuses to talk about it?" my husband asked and she nodded "he's not the only one…" he said glancing at me

"Maybe he has a reason to" I frowned at Simba "a lion's past, it's his own"

"But maybe it talking about it would help him…" Yue mused and I scoffed

"Putting it behind him and moving on will help him" I said seriously but then tried to put on a reassuring smile "he has a great life and a loving family now and he should focus on that" the two gave me concerned looks and I decided to change the subject "anyways, look at the sun! It's time to eat, so, shall we?"

"Nala…" Simba called as I got up

"Nyota and Angani must be waiting for you Yue!" I said ignoring him completely as I turned towards pride rock

"That's just what Ehsan does" I heard Yue saying "he either changes the subject or gets defensive"

"What did I say? Like brother, like sister" Simba said with a sigh, I picked up my pace and went straight into the den, picked a up a piece of meat and headed back out to find my mother, maybe I've avoided this subject for too long, but how can I openly talk about it when there's so much I don't know or understand? As a cub I didn't even knew who or where my father was and after he appeared I didn't dare to question them further, he told me he left before I was born to help a pride and ended up becoming their king, I don't know how my parents met or even if they loved each other or what happened to him that turned him into the evil lion that tormented me and my family. I marched towards my mother filled with more determination than ever before to get answers.

"Mom" I said dropping the piece of meat before her, she lifted her head from her paws and smiled at me "we need to talk" I said and her smile fell

"About what?" she asked cautiously

"About my f- about… Moyo" I said and she frowned looking down at her paws "I want to know everything"

"Everything?" She asked

"Everything" I said firmly, she remained silent for what felt like an eternity until she let out a sigh and smiled

"For you, my dear, I'll start from the beginning…"

 **Kopa's point of view**

I didn't mean to abandon my father by the waterhole but if I want to be done with my royal duties and still have time to plan everything for tonight I had to get a move on, Tiifu doesn't know it yet but I have a special night planned for us to celebrate or one year wedding anniversary, she thinks I forgot about it but how could I? It was the happiest day of my life. The location I picked was perfect, Urembo meadows was beautiful this time of the year, the yellow flowers covered the landscape and gave the air a sweet scent and it was secluded enough that we could have some much needed privacy but After all the arrangements were done, I sent my majordomo to get her.

I hope she likes my surprise, I got us something to eat, the moon is full and shining brightly and the fields are covered with her favorite flowers, Zulu is a faster flyer than his father Zazu so it shouldn't take him long to get back and as I thought about this the young hornbill landed in front of me with a smile and Tiifu ran off after him.

"Oh sweetie, are you alright?" My wife asked out of breath

"Yes… why wouldn't I be?" I asked confused

"Zulu said you needed me and that it was an emergency" she explained with a frown and I turned to my majordomo with an arched brow

"You told me to get her here fast" the bird shrugged with a smile and I shook my head

"Right…" I said rubbing my temples "that would be all for today Zulu, thank you" the bird bowed before flying off and I turned back to Tiifu, who was looking around with a raised brow

"What's going?" she asked and I smiled "what's all this?"

"You'll see, you just have to stand here" I said moving her to the perfect spot right in the middle of the field "and close your eyes for a second" when she did I began rustling the flowers around and she laughed

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" she asked

"No peaking!" I said

"I just want to know what's going on" she chuckled

"you will" I said as I finished returning to her side, we were surrounded by the twinkling lights of fireflies, some flew around us and other sat on the flowers enhancing their beauty and color just the way I wanted them to "you can open them now" I whispered in her ear, she opened her emerald eyes and gasped

"This is the most beautiful thing I've even seen" she said taking a moment to look around in awe

"Now you know how I feel whenever I look at you" I shrugged and she smiled brightly before rubbing her head under my chin "happy anniversary Tiif" I said licking the top of her head

"Happy anniversary sweetie" she said and then sighed looking down at her paws embarrassed "I really thought you forgot…"

"All part of my plan" I smirked and she giggled softly

"You're always planning things, aren't you?" she asked and I nodded

"Yes but lately I've discovered that you can't plan everything, some things can only happen when they're meant to happen" I said and she gave me a questioning look

"Like what?" She asked

"Like… having cubs" I sighed and she looked away "I thought that by now we would have at least one" I explained "but I think the great kings are trying tell us something, it's just not our time yet and that's alright-"

"And what if it never is?" she asked barely above a whisper

"Then that's alright too" I said and she looked back at me, her piercing green eyes staring right at me "I will still have you…"

 **A/N**

 _ **Okay guys so you may have noticed that Sarafina didn't finished her story and that's because I've been trying to fit the story here but I think I'm just going to post it separately, it's going to be a one shot called "the heart of the problem" you can read it if you want to find out the details about Sarafina and Moyo's relationship and might include some of Nala and Ehsan's background and it might.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Kion's point of view**

"This is the third time this month we've found a half-eaten carcass by this border" I said to Zuberi as we walked back home after patrol "we need to figure out what's going on"

"I know Kion, but we've been on a constant lookout and we haven't seen any strange activity by the borders" he reported "maybe it's a leopard and that's why we haven't seen it, they're known to be sneaky"

"But it if was it wouldn't leave its prey on the ground, they prefer to eat on the safety of a tree" I told him

"It could be a hyena, those mutts are always trying to sneak into lions territory" he mused

"No. it's not a hyena, they leave the bones of their prey clean" I shook my head "this is all a lion's job, we're dealing with rogues and I don't want them getting confortable near my borders" I said as we approached the main living area "we need to increase the security, longer shifts for the guards and constant patrolling"

"We're doing all we can but there's only so many of us and the new guys… well they're not exactly the best of the best, they're still Rockies" the strongest sighed

"I know they're nothing like the original guard but I couldn't force Nuka, Jasiri, and Haraka to come with us to the Furaha lands" I reminded him

"But their mates sure could force them to stay in the Pridelands" he said and I chuckled "they trained all their lives to serve on your guard and then they just give up on their dreams, no female is worth it if you ask me"

"I used to think like you, until I met Libya" I smirked "maybe you haven't met the right lioness"

"I thought I did and you saw what happened" he said lowly, I felt bad for the guy, he didn't had the best reaction when Vitani told him she was pregnant but when he tried to step up to his responsibilities she blew him off and moved away to the Aduli lands and he moved here to serve on my guard but his daughter Selah is growing up without her father around, all because Vitani and Zuberi couldn't make things work between them. I didn't know what to say so I remained in silence for a moment until he spoke again "anyways, if you need me to take more shifts, I'll gladly do so"

I think I'll discuss our situation with the consul tomorrow, maybe get us some reinforcements" I told him walking towards the royal den "Thank you Zuberi" I nodded my head and he bowed.

Inside, I found Ishka crying as she faced the wall as my son inside the den behind me "Ishka?" I asked raining an eyebrow; she whipped her head around before running into my arms

"Daddy, Yame put me in time out for no reason!" she said

"But I did had a reason, you went into the grasslands without supervision!" her brother countered

"Yame put you in…" I echoed before turning to my son "Yame you can't put your sister in time out, only your mother and I can do that"

"He can if we're not here and she's not obeying the rules" Libya said waddling and dragging in a piece of meat

"Let me help you with that" I said grabbing it and setting it in front of the cubs

"I don't want them out with all those rogues roaming around" she sighed tiredly sitting down and the cub's ears flattened

"We haven't had any sighting to confirm rogues" I said and the cubs glanced at each other before they began eating

"Mom and dad never saw the rogues that killed them…" she whispered "You never see them until it's too late" she said with a blank expression on her face

"You're safe now Liv" I said rubbing her growing belly "I won't let anything happen to you or to our cubs" she placed her paw on top of mine and nodded slowly "that's why tomorrow I'll ask the consul for reinforcements"

"You're meeting with them tomorrow?" she asked and my eyes widen "where?"

"Y-yes in the Pridelands… didn't I tell you?" I asked laughing nervously

"Of course you didn't" she rolled her stormy grey eyes

"I'm sorry Livy, there's so much going on I just forgot to tell you" I said trying to nuzzle her but she placed her paw between us "don't be mad…"

"I'm not" she said giving me a small smile as she stood up "but I want to go with you"

"Of course honey" I said watching her walk towards the food, I just hope she's not too pregnant to make the trip, she usually wants nothing to do with my consul meetings so asking to go to one is a little out of character for her but I don't mind her and the cubs going at all, it might be fun the cubs will get to see their cousins.

 **Kiara's point of view**

while the twins slept and Kovu was on patrol, I went to meet them by the border, Kion, Libya and their cubs were the first ones here this morning, I was surprised to see Kopa and Tiifu weren't with them but before I even had a chance to ask my niece and nephew came crushing into me, I rarely get to see them and I've missed them both so much "Oh... you've all gotten so big" I smiled down at the light cream colored cubs "Look at that mane Yame" I said ruffling him the tuff of strawberry blonde hair on top of his head and he smiled proudly

"We missed you, Aunt Kiara!" Little Ishka said

"Oh, I missed you, too" I said licking her cheeks "Your father doesn't bring you to visit nearly enough" I said turning to my younger brother with a smirk "He's probably scared I'll beat him up like when we were cubs"

I'm not scared of you ... anymore" he mumbled "and I would always let you win the fights…"

"Right…" I said rolling my eyes before pulling him in for a hug "it's good to see you little brother"

"Yeah, yeah, good to see you too" he chuckled returning the hug

"Are Hadi and Sabi up yet?" Yame asked

"They must be" I smiled before suggesting "why don't you guys go see?"

"I'll race you there" Ishka challenged her brother; he turned to his mother and asked

"Can we mother?"

"Go ahead" she said sitting down on the ground and sighing as the cubs ran in towards the royal cave

"Wow look at you!" I smiled at my sister-in-law before placing a paw on her belly

"I know, I know, I'm as big as buffalo" she sighed

"No! You look so cute" I beamed "aw you're making me want another cub"

"Whoa! Easy there you, don't you think you should discuss that with Kovu first?" my brother asked raisin an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes

"I would hope so…" my mate's voice called from behind me and I chuckled turning around to nuzzle him "Kion, Libya, it's good to see you both" he nodded at the Furaha lands royal couple "where are the cubs?"

"Tormenting your cubs, I'm sure" Libya sighed and Kovu and I laughed

"And where's Kopa and his lovely wife?" I asked my brother

"Yeah I thought you were all going to arrive together" Kovu asked

"Well, I just decided I wanted to travel with my family this time" the red manned lion answered

"Kopa is your family, we're triplets remember? We shared the same womb?" I told him and he rolled his eyes

"Ugh don't remind him" he said "I don't want him that close to me ever again"

"Right back at you brother!" my older brother's voice called, I turned in his direction and smiled when I saw him and Tiifu approaching us

"Hey koko" I said hugging him tightly "oh it's been too long since I last saw you"

"I know Kiki" he said patting my back before "Hello everyone. Kovu, Libya it's good to see you" he nodded his head before setting his teal eyes on our brother and narrowing them "Kion… you left without me" he said but Kion only rolled his amber eyes in return

"Okay… I guess I'll go finish my patrol" Kovu said trying to escape he awkwardness "see you all at the meeting"

"Hey Tiff, I'm going to check on the cubs, want to come with me?" Libya said as if she knew what was coming; Tiifu looked up at her mate and sighed when he saw my brothers glaring at each other

"Sure…" the queen of the Pridelands said "you're coming too Kiara?" she asked

"No, I'm in sister duty right now" I sighed and they nodded leaving me and my brothers

"What happened this time?" I asked tiredly

"You could've sent a message; we waited for you by the borders you know" Kopa said

"Now you know how it feels to be stood up by your own brother" Kion responded

"What are you talking about?" the brown manned lion asked him

"The celebration feast, remember?" The red manned lion responded

"Unbelievable…" our older brother said rubbing his temples "That was two months ago Kion!"

"It was a special occasion!" the youngest countered

"Guys…" I said but they went on

"I told you I was busy that day, I didn't have time to-" Kopa groaned

"It's not about having time, it's about making time" Kion said "that's what dad always says"

"Don't bring father into this!" Kopa snapped standing up "you already complained to him about this, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?!" Kion snapped back at him and getting on his feet "you think you're so important you can just miss my cub's celebration!"

"Guys!" I yelled as the two towered over me glaring at each other

"This is your THIRD cub, Kion" Kopa told him completely ignoring me "I was there for the two previous ones and I didn't think you would make such a big deal about it!"

"That doesn't make it any less important!" he argued not minding my calls "but what do you know about having cubs?" Kion said and Kopa's teal eyes widen "and just so you know, I'm not going to your cub's celebration, if you ever have one that is!"

"Kion!" I said and he finally acknowledged me by turning to look at me

"What?!" he asked I gestured for him to look back at our brother, Kopa was dead silent and keeping his glance low

"Kopa, I-" Kion groaned rubbing his face with his paw

"Its fine Kion, I'll see you two at the meeting" Kopa said standing up and leaving without saying another word we watched him and while he retained his regal composure I could tell that this time Kion's words really did hurt him.

 **Tiifu's point of view**

"Can we play baobab ball? Or hunters and prey or- or I know! Hide and pounce?" Ishka asked excitedly climbing onto his older cousin's back

"We can play all those games and more!" Ahadi told her

"Really?" Yame asked

"Really, really" Kiara's son smiled

"Yay!" she squealed in delight making him flinch when she pulled his growing dark brown mane

"But first who wants to sing a song!" the oldest cub asked and his cousins cheered "Life's exciting, life is fun…" he began singing

"Zuka zama zom zom zom!" the younger cubs sang loudly

"A big adventure for everyone!" Ahadi continued as Ishka and Yame dancing around with the den and singing at the top of their lungs making their mother and I laugh

"Zuka zama zom zom zom!"

"Oh kings…" Sarabi said covering her ears in annoyance

"Sweetheart, do you know where I can find Selah's mom?" I asked the princess

"I'll take you to her, if you get me out of here" she pleaded

"Alright" I smiled

"I'm going to find my friends; later weirdos!" the green eyed cub said as we were leaving but they didn't hear her, I didn't mean to abandon Libya with the three hyper cubs but I really need to see my sister right now "she's there by that three" Sabi said pointing a few feet away, where Vitani was napping.

"Thank you Sabi, I-"I began but the cub had already disappeared from my side "oh well..." I shrugged and then sighed mustering enough courage to approach my sister "Vitani?" I said trying to wake her up

"Not now! This is my only day off, I-" she growled rubbing her eyes until she eventually opened them and went wide with surprise "oh..."

"Hey Vit" I smiled awkwardly

"Your majesty" she said standing up and bowing her head "is there anything you need?"

"I just need my sister…" I said on the verge of tears and she groaned

"Fine…" she said defeated before I pulled her in for a hug

"Okay, that's enough" she said pulling away and discreetly whipping away some tears

"How are you doing? How's Selah? Can I see her?" I asked with a smile

"She's fine, she's around here somewhere" she shrugged and I nodded

"Well… and how are you?" I insisted

"Well… I'm a single mother raising my cub away from my birth pride without the help friends, family or the father while also trying to uphold all the responsibilities the king and queen bestow on me, like patrolling and hunting, training the young lionesses and watching over their tyrant daughter!" she ranted getting pissed off

"Maybe it's time for you to Furaha lands …" I said putting my paw on hers

"If I move anywhere it will be to the Uyuni lands" she scoffed "put as much distance as possible between us and him…"

"Vitani, Zuberi said he was sorry and that he was ready to be a part of Selah's life" I said and she growled

"Do not mention his name!" she snapped at me "is this why you came? To convince me to turn myself into a decent respected married lioness like you? Did father put you up for this?"

"No…" I said shook my head "he wants you to go back to the Pridelands"

"And what about my daughter? Does he want me to leave her here and pretend like this little mistake never happened?" she asked bitterly recalling our parent's words when they found out about her pregnancy.

"He wants to meet her and so does mom" I said softly and Vitani frowned and looked away thoughtfully after a few seconds of silence I spoke again "yeah, at this point they're desperate to have any grand cubs to call their own" I said and she eyed me cautiously "maybe then they'll get off my back for a while"

"I'm a disappointment for them for giving them one too soon…" she began with a small smile

"And I'm a disappointment for not giving them one soon enough…" I finished mirroring her smile "either way we're both failures" I shrugged

"But at least you married a king, I had him firs but you know…" she pointed out, it felt nice to finally be able to joke about this to leave all the tension and hard feelings behind and finally have a decent sister talk, I simply rolled my eyes with a smile as she continued "hey weren't you guys supposed to be on a meeting or something?"

"Oh kings, I forgot!" I said standing up "excuse me please!"

"Run queen, run!" she said laughing as I hurried back to the main cave where everyone else except Kopa was already sitting in a circle and before I could ask about my husband's whereabouts he walked into the den quietly and took his place by my side without even looking at me, you could feel the tension between the siblings and as the meeting began I prayed that they would be able to put personal issues aside for the sake of our alliance.

 **A/N**

 **siblings making up, siblings getting into fights, intense ones... I'm so glad to be an only child lol**

 **QUESTION OF THE DAY** **: do you guys have any brothers or sisters? or are you a part of the only child club?**

 **let me know on the reviews,** **why? because I'm curious** **and have a great week!**

 **\- Ali**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Kopa's point of view**

The meeting went on as usual, the eight of us sitting on a circle, each one gave a status report from each one of the kingdoms, I couldn't wait until this meeting was over, I want to go home right now, fortunately ours was the second to last report "the Buffalo herds in the Pridelands are big this year, a little too big I'm afraid, after the heavy rains last season their numbers skyrocketed" Tiifu spoke before the council "Nala suggests we divide the herd into two and lead one of them to a different territory"

"That sounds like a lot of work, Buffalo are not easy to deal with, I can barely handle the ones we have at the Furaha lands" Libya said

"Yes but if we don't do it, the herds will outgrow their feeding grounds" Tiifu explained to her

"Exactly" Kiara said "maybe the herd could be brought here, there's plenty of space for it and it would secure food for us during the dry season"

"And how are you planning to do that?" Kion asked "You've never led a migration before"

"No, but the guard has" she told him

"Oh no sis, I need the guard for something more important" he retorted "an issue that needs to be addressed"

"Kion, it was Tiifu's turn to speak" Libya nudged him

"It's okay Liv, I was pretty much done" my queen smiled politely

"For the past couple of months rogues have been attacking the herds by my borders" Kion spoke and everyone gasped

"Rogues? How many of them?" Kiara asked concerned "are they hostile?"

"Well…" he cleared his throat "I don't really know, I haven't seen them"

"Then how do you know the herds are being attacked by rogues?" our cousin raised an eyebrow at him

"The signs are pretty obvious Kaya and we've discarded the possibilities of leopard or hyena attacks" the red manned king said "I'm sure they're rogues Kya and I don't want to risk my family and pride's safety"

"We have a protocol for this situation remember? We need confirmed sightings of the rogues" cousin Kya said firmly

"I don't have enough guards patrolling my lands" Kion explained "And the ones I do have, don't have enough training or experience to deal with this type of situations and that puts all of us at risk"

"You're right Kion and it's best to not take any chances" Kovu spoke "if they're rogues we need to show them that they do not want to mess with any of us, a secure border is a secure kingdom"

"I understand the concern but I personally can't send members of my guard all the way to the Furaha lands to fight rogues that might not even be there risking my own kingdom's safety" our Kaya told the two males and her mate agreed nodding his head, quiet guy that Hakim, but I'm glad he has his queen's back.

"And we can't send our guard they'll be helping with the Buffalo migration and securing food for our pride should be our top priority" Kiara told Kovu

"You're right…but I believe we should give some importance to Kion's situation" the dark manned king mused before turning to me "what about you Kopa? Can you send some reinforcements?" he asked and all eyes fell on me

"Well the Pridelands are a big territory, we need constant patrolling and that requires a large number of guards, however-" I began

"The Pridelands are the most secure place on earth" Kion interrupted "you don't need that many guards"

"I wasn't finished" I told him and he suppressed an eye roll "I'm willing to send Nuka and Haraka to help with surveillance and once we have a confirmed sightings of the rogues, then we can decide how we proceed with the situation on the next council meeting"

"Or just send a bunch of them and we can just put an end to this whole situation quickly" he countered

"That is my final offer, either you take it or you leave it" I told him and he looked away angrily, Kion can be impulsive and tends to make rash decisions but this time he will have the power to make them

"Fine, I'll take it" he muttered

"That settles it then" Libya smiled placing her paw on Kion's shoulder "thank you Kopa"

"No problem" I said bowing my head

"If there aren't any more issues to address, then I guess we're done" Kovu said addressing everyone "next month's meeting will be held in the Pridelands, thank you all for being here today, this meeting has concluded"  
"are you ready to leave?" I asked Tiifu as soon as the meeting ended

"But sweetie, we just got here besides I promised my sister I would go hunting with her, maybe you'd like to spend some time with your family too" she smiled sweetly

"Fine…" I sighed, I really don't want to be here another second but I know spending time with Vitani would mean the world to her "but we're leaving as soon as you're done"

"Is everything alright?" she asked concerned

"Of course but you know there's always plenty to do back home" I said putting up a smile "especially now with the migration and the guard transfers"

"Okay…" she said unconvinced "I won't be long"

"Thanks sweetie" I said and as soon as she was out of the den my smile dropped, now I just need to find a way to avoid my siblings for the next couple of hours

"Yay uncle Kopa is here!" and it seems like I just found a way.

 **Libya's point of view**

"I hope you're happy now, Kion" Kiara said hitting my mate's shoulder "you ruined the family reunion"  
"Ouch!" he complained glaring at his sister before turning to her mate "Kovu, do something" he told him but the green eyed king simply shrugged  
"What happened?" I asked confused  
"Kion and Kopa had an argument" my sister-in-law told me before turning back to him

"Seriously why can't you two just get along?" Kya asked walking closer

"I'm not the only guilty one here" Kion shrugged it off and Kiara rolled her scarlet eyes "I don't see Kiara punching Kopa"

"Well he's not here right now and you're the reason for that" his sister said "the comments you made were way out of line, you need to apologize"

"You done with the lecture, Mom?" he asked with an eye roll

"Oh, grow up! You haven't changed one bit since we were cubs" she snapped at him "You're still a hard-headed selfish brat!"

"Alright that's enough, we don't need to start another fight" Kya said stepping in to calm Kiara down

"Why can't you be on my side for once?" Kion asked his sister and she sighed "why do you always defend Kopa?"

"Cause at least he tries" she said simply "I think he's as tired as I am of the constant fighting"

"He did agreed to help with our situation despite it all" I reminded him

"The least you can do is apologize" Kiara added

"What? No way" he said stubbornly "I can't just apologize to him-"

"You're right Kion, you should also thank him for his help" his cousin said in a serious tone and he rolled his amber eyes and groaned as Kiara and I nodded in agreement

"What do you think I should do Kovu?" he asked his brother-in-law with an arched brow

"Showing gratitude and apologizing, would be the most honorable thing to do" he said and Kion sighed defeated

"Hakim, I'm guessing you agree with them?" my mate asked the quiet lion, getting a simple nod in response "Alright then, I guess I have no choice" he sighed standing up "I'll apologize" he said leaving the small cave with Kiara, Kya and I following behind him, we found Kopa on the royal cave with all the cubs gathered around him and our daughter sleeping on his arm "brother, can we talk?" Kion interrupted the story being told

"We're in the middle of a story here uncle!" Sarabi told him

"Yeah dad, this is the best part" Yame added

"I'm sorry but this is important" Kion said "please, Kopa?"

"Alright" Kopa sighs, standing up and carefully handing Ishka to me "I'll be right back" he told the pouting cubs before following Kion outside the royal cave.

"No fair, I wanted to hear the rest of the story" my son sighed

"Uncle Kopa will be right back darling" Kiara told him with a smile before turning to me with a smirk "I can't believe he finally found someone that enjoys his stories" she joked and Kya and I chuckled lightly, the three of us chatted among ourselves while the cubs played, and few minutes later the two brothers walked back inside, Kopa resumed his story telling and Kion sat quietly besides me "everything alright?" I asked him

"Yeah" he nodded "he accepted my apology"

"And did you thank him for his help?" Kya asked arching an eyebrow

"Yes Kya" he sighed before resting his head on his front paws watching his older brother intently

"Good, now we can enjoy the rest of the evening" Kiara smiled and Kion nodded absentmindedly. Whenever my husband is around his siblings he becomes a different lion, I can tell there's issues that come from being a triplet, specially coming from a royal family, I just wish he would speak about it instead of keeping it all bottled up inside.

Soon, Tiifu and Vitani came in dragging two wildebeests, as everyone gathered around to eat Kopa walked over to his mate "ready to go now sweetie?" I heard him ask, she glanced at her sister and niece sadly before looking back at him and nodding her head slowly

"Leaving so soon Kopa and Tiifu?" I asked and everyone turned to look at the couple, the trip back home was long and usually we would spend the night and leave first thing in the morning

"Yes…" Kopa said with a half a smile

"There's plenty to do back home" Tiifu said "I have to get started with the migration"

"And I have to inform the guard about their temporary transfer to the Furaha lands" her mate added, without further explanation and despite Kiara and Kovu's insistence for them to stay, the couple left for the Pridelands that afternoon while Kion, Ishka, Yame and I spent the night at the Aduli lands.

"It's a shame you all have to leave so soon" Kiara as she and her family walked us and Kya's husband and daughter to the borders

"Let's not get sentimental here, we'll see each other soon" Kion told her

"I know, don't think I won't be there when your little one arrives" she smiled

"That would be wonderful Kiara" I said happily

"I'll try to make it but I can't promise you anything" Kya said apologetically

"It's alright we know how busy you are" my mate answered and I raised an eyebrow at him

"And Kopa isn't?" I asked and he rolled his eyes while everyone else laughed

"Alright time to go, cubs! Say goodbye to your cousins" Kion told Yame and Ishka this morning while they ran around with the rest of the cubs

"But we don't want to leave yet" our daughter pouted

"Yeah, we want to keep playing with Hadi, Sabi and Binti" our son added

"You heard your father; we have to go back now- ah!" I groaned in pain

"Livy, what's wrong?"

"Are you okay mommy?"

"Are you alright?" everyone panicked

"The cub is... just kicking really hard is all" I breathed out "I'm fine"

"Should we stay here? Just in case you-" Kion began

"No reason to worry" I smiled waving it off, it wasn't the cub's time yet but it might come soon and though I love visiting the Aduli lands, I want to be home when it happens "It's nothing, let's just go home"


End file.
